Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Overall: 25-9, Conf: 12-6)
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Team Strengths:
The Fighting Irish are boasting an array of offensive weapons. Bonzie Colson, VJ Beachem, Matt Farell, and Steve Vasturia can hurt the defense in various ways and lead the game in scoring at any given day.
The regular season saw Colson, the team’s main option and do-it-all guy, post 17 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game on 52.3 percent shooting. His three usual partners in crime, meanwhile, each averaged 13 or more points and combined for over six threes every contest.
Through the potent attack, Notre Dame (+6,000) is netting 78.5 PPG and currently lands on the 17th spot in Kenpom.com’s offensive efficiency rankings.
Opponents can’t also be too keen on trying to let the Fighting Irish earn points on the charity stripe. The team is filled with jump shooters, and as expected, their accuracy from the line is second to none – 80.9 percent, first in the nation.
Team Weaknesses:
Interior defense and rebounding. It’s two things that’ll kill their chances for a championship or Final Four run. Although Colson and Beachem combine for almost three blocks per game, they aren’t exactly bigs who play D on the paint.
With no intimidating presence to alter shots or moves on the shaded lane, all offense from their four main guys will get cancelled out once they show the inability to contain the ground-and-pound teams down the line.
ND is ranked all the way down to the 247th spot in rebounding, and they also finished the conference play giving up the most boards in all of ACC (37.3 RPG).
Team Stats:
CATEGORY | STAT / G | NCAA RANK |
Points | 78.5 | 62nd |
Rebounds | 34.2 | 247th |
Assists | 16.1 | 37th |
Steals | 7.2 | 68th |
Blocks | 3.9 | 98th |
Field goal percentage | 46.1 | 90th |
Three-point percentage | 38.9 | 30th |
Free throw percentage | 80.9 | 1st |
Turnovers | 9.6 | 4th |
Starting Lineup:
POSITION | NAME | PPG |
C | VJ Beachem | 15.4 |
F | Rex Pflueger | 4.7 |
F | Bonzie Colson | 17.0 |
G | Steve Vasturia | 13.5 |
G | Matt Farrell | 14.2 |
Writer’s Prediction:
Notre Dame (+6,000) will get eliminated in the Sweet 16.
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